erous feat, but we were amply repaid by the splendid
view before us. We crossed the mountain at an elevation of 12,000
feet, in the region of perpetual snow. From its summit one of the
grandest and most extensive views of mountain scenery lay before
and around us, range after range of snowpeaks stretching away for
one hundred miles. To the south was the valley of Wind River and
Stinking Water, and encircling these, the Shoshone and Wind River
ranges with their lines of perpetual snow, the Bear Tooth Mountain
and Pilot Knob and Index Peak, the great landmarks of the Rockies.
The ascent was fatiguing and almost exhausting. We remained on
the mountain two or three hours for needed rest. When we arrived
in the camp about sundown I was so fatigued that I was utterly
unable to dismount from my horse, and was lifted bodily from it by
the soldiers.

We continued our journey through grassy parks until we reached
Lower Falls. From there we continued until we arrived at Mammoth
Hot Springs, where there was a house, the first sign of civilization
we had seen since we began our journeyings in the park. From here
we took our way to Fort Ellis and Bozeman, where we left our escort
and horses and mules. We returned from here to Virginia City, and
at Dillon took cars for Ogden and thence for home, where I arrived
about the 25th of August.

During my absence in the Yellowstone Park we had frequent bulletins
in respect to President Garfield, sometimes hopeful but generally
despondent. When I returned it was generally supposed that he
could not recover, but might linger for weeks or months. The public
sympathy excited for him suspended by common consent all political
meetings. As the Ohio election was to occur on the second Tuesday
of October, George K. Nash, chairman of the Republican state
committee, having charge of the canvass, made a number of appointments
for several gentlemen during September. Among them was one for me
to speak in Mansfield, on the 17th of that month, in aid of the
election of Foster and the Republican ticket. Preparations were
made and the meeting was actually convened on the afternoon of that
day, but, as the bulletins from Elberton indicated that Garfield
might die at any moment, I declined to speak. More favorable
advices coming, however, I was urged by the committee to speak to
Wooster on Monday evening, September 19, and consented with some
hesitation. In opening my speech I referred to the c